For U18s, the transition ontonew-dimension skis has beenless difficult than anticipatedBY GEOFF MINTZRADIUS PART 2

Has the sport of ski racing been ruined by
the FIS-mandated radius changes? Nope. For
all the hand-wringing that’s taken place during
the last several months, the transition to a longer radius, longer length ski has actually been
OK for elite athletes, coaches and ski manufacturers — or at least that’s what they’re saying out loud.

What it means for young ski racers, however,
may be different.

FIS is rolling out its second phase of new ski
regulations this season, applying similar rules
that took effect on the World Cup and Europa
Cup levels last year to all participants this winter. (Below the NorAm level, racers get a little
bit of a break on the length, but not on the radius.) The most significant changes are in GS,
where men face an increase from 30 to 35 meters; for women, it’s somewhat less dramatic

27 to 30.

“Change is always difficult and it requires alot of adjustment,” says USSA Alpine DirectorPatrick Riml. “Especially for the young kids,because you have to get a little bit strongerto handle those kinds of skis. The old skis al-lowed less precise skiing, technique and posi-tion than the new skis require. … The old skisallowed sloppy skiing. For me, it’s good.”For those making the switch, USSA hasnot made any specific recommendations asto when and how athletes should transition.Those decisions, most agree, need to bemade on a case-by-case basis in consulta-tion with the coaches working directly withthose athletes.

“There’s no recommendation from our side
— it’s basically the FIS rules,” says Riml. “I
would say that if there is an athlete on an elite
track who wants to go into FIS competition,
the sooner he goes on the new regulations,
the better he will be able to handle them. …
For a young skier who is mainly focused on
USSA competitions, it may be a little bit of a
challenge if they have a great year and all of
sudden they want to race FIS.”
The FIS continues to insist it made these
changes primarily to prevent injuries, but
many in the racing community say the decision was also rooted in some sort of ideological motivation associated with the direction
of the sport and preserving its fundamentals.
“On the higher level, there were not too many
injuries last year compared to the years before,” says Riml. “I would say it wasn’t just
because of the skis; it’s also because of the
preparation. I think we have to give it a couple years to see why FIS made the changes.”
Will the change drive athletes away from the
sport? Will ski racing become more difficult

“It’s not going to look pretty, but the
athletes are going to be able to adjust
to it,” says Head’s Ben Drummond of the
new skis’ impact on young racers.